Josh Donaldson vs Jason Giambi: Career Stats Comparison
Jason Giambi has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Josh Donaldson played 2010–2023 as a hitter; Jason Giambi played 1995–2014 as a hitter.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
Josh Donaldson (2010–2023) and Jason Giambi (1995–2014) — they broke in during the 2010s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Josh Donaldson finished with 1,310 hits and 279 home runs; Jason Giambi finished with 2,010 hits and 440 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jason Giambi, with 440 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jason Giambi, with .916 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jason Giambi, with .277 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits? Jason Giambi, with 2,010 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.
- Who drove in more runs? Jason Giambi, with 1,441 to Josh Donaldson's 816.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jason Giambi, with 37,008 career PIV to Josh Donaldson's 18,424.
Josh Donaldson
Jason Giambi
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Donaldson and Jason Giambi. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 14 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other one is a counting total on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded it. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 2010s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Josh Donaldson | Jason Giambi |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,384 | Leads: 2,260 |
| At-Bats | 5,022 | Leads: 7,267 |
| Runs | 816 | Leads: 1,227 |
| Hits | 1,310 | Leads: 2,010 |
| Doubles | 287 | Leads: 405 |
| Triples | Leads: 12 | 9 |
| Home Runs | 279 | Leads: 440 |
| RBI | 816 | Leads: 1,441 |
| Walks | 725 | Leads: 1,366 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,221 | 1,572 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 40 | 20 |
| Batting Avg | .261 | Leads: .277 |
| On-Base % | .358 | Leads: .399 |
| Slugging % | .489 | Leads: .516 |
| OPS | .847 | Leads: .916 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jason Giambi outpaces Josh Donaldson 37,008 to 18,424 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,762 PIV per season to 1,228, across 21 seasons to 15. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Josh Donaldson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Jason Giambi — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jason Giambi leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Josh Donaldson owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jason Giambi. PIV agrees: Jason Giambi grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Josh Donaldson and Jason Giambi careers compare
The careers of Josh Donaldson (2010–2023) and Jason Giambi (1995–2014) overlapped from 2010 to 2014, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 1,384 games of Josh Donaldson with 2,260 of Jason Giambi across 15 and 21 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Josh Donaldson comes out ahead, it is in triples (12 to 9) and stolen bases (40 to 20). At the plate, Josh Donaldson struck out more than walked (1,221 to 725), and Jason Giambi struck out more than walked (1,572 to 1,366).
Josh Donaldson vs Jason Giambi: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Josh Donaldson or Jason Giambi?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jason Giambi leads Josh Donaldson in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Josh Donaldson or Jason Giambi hit more home runs?
- Jason Giambi, with 440 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jason Giambi, with .916 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jason Giambi, with .277 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Jason Giambi, with 2,010 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.